You Want Me to Wash My Face With What!?

These charcoal skin care products are game-changers in your pursuit of great skin

If you have breakouts, covering your face in black soot probably seems like a really terrible idea. But if that black soot happens to be active charcoal, it may be just the acne cure you've been looking for.

Charcoal skin care products aren't exactly news. In Japan (here we go again with our Asian skin care trends), charcoal has been used as a cleansing ingredient for centuries, and in countries like India and Egypt, it's been used to treat wounds for even longer.

"Charcoal is a powerhouse ingredient used for its cleaning power," says New York City dermatologist Sapna Westley, M.D. "It acts as a magnet to draw out and trap impurities." And active charcoal is surprisingly similar to the charcoal in your backyard grill -- it's simply heated, making it porous and more absorbent.

Yes, it's counterintuitive to wash your face with something that looks so, well, dirty. But trust us on this one. These charcoal skin care products will leave your skin cleaner and brighter.